Canada welcomed 19,979,334 travelers in 2016—the highest number since 2002 and second highest ever.

International arrivals increased by 16% in Destination Canada’s 10 overseas markets, and 10% in the US market, for an average of 11% growth across the board.

“I’m excited to say that 2016 was a fantastic year for our tourism industry,” said David F. Goldstein, Destination Canada’s CEO and President. “Canada is open, welcoming, and has something for everyone—and people are seeing that. Together with our industry partners, we are encouraging travelers to explore Canada and experience a life less ordinary. I couldn’t think of a better time to visit than right now.”

The almost 20 million visitors to Canada was only 0.4% below the record set in 2002. The impressive number includes a record-breaking number of US travelers by air – up 17% over 2015.

Canada set new records in a number of markets in 2016: South Korea – 244,442 arrivals, an increase of 30% over 2015; China – 610,139 arrivals, up 24% over 2015; Australia – 333,437 arrivals, an increase of 16% over 2015; India – 215,664 arrivals, an up 13% over 2015; France – 545,786 arrivals, an increase of 9% over 2015; and Brazil – 114,261 arrivals, up 2% over 2015.